(1 of )Kevin Jorgeson pops a bottle of sparkling wine to celebrate his historic free-climb ascent of El Capitan’s Dawn Wall, as Becca Caldwell, the wife of his climbing partner Tommy Caldwell, looks on, in Yosemite National Park, Jan. 14, 2015. Both climbers’ partners were on hand at the end of a climb that took 19 days. (Max Whittaker/The New York Times)

(2 of )From left: Becca and Tommy Caldwell, and Jacqui Becker and Kevin Jorgeson embrace after the two men completed a free climb summit of the Dawn Wall of El Capitan, in Yosemite National Park, Calif., Jan. 14, 2015. Using ropes as a safety measure only, the duo became the first to climb by hand the 3,000-foot granite wall, an ascent they began on Dec. 27. (Max Whittaker/The New York Times)

(3 of )Kevin Jorgeson and Tommy Caldwell, left, toast upon completing their historic free-climb ascent of El Capitan’s Dawn Wall, in Yosemite National Park, Jan. 14, 2015. Looking on is Becca Caldwell, Tommy's wife, on hand to celebrate at the end of a climb that took 19 days. (Max Whittaker/The New York Times)

(4 of )Becca and Tommy Caldwell celebrate his historic free-climb ascent of El Capitan’s Dawn Wall, in Yosemite National Park, Calif., Jan. 14, 2015. Embracing at right following the completion of a climb that took 19 days are Caldwell’s climbing partner, Kevin Jorgeson, and his girlfriend, Jacqui Becker. (Max Whittaker/The New York Times)

(5 of )Kevin Jorgeson shows his hands after he and Tommy Caldwell completed their historic free-climb ascent of El Capitan’s Dawn Wall, in Yosemite National Park, Calif., Jan. 14, 2015. The cold weather and razorlike granite conspired to frequently leave Jorgeson’s fingertips raw and bloody over the course of a climb that lasted 19 days. (Max Whittaker/The New York Times)

(6 of )Kevin Jorgeson removes tape from his battered hands after he and Tommy Caldwell completed their historic free-climb ascent of El Capitan’s Dawn Wall, in Yosemite National Park, Calif., Jan. 14, 2015. The cold weather and razorlike granite conspired to frequently leave Jorgeson’s fingertips raw and bloody over the course of a climb that lasted 19 days. (Max Whittaker/The New York Times)

(8 of )After a grueling 19 days, Kevin Jorgeson and Tommy Caldwell embrace at the top of El Capitan. (photo via NBC Live Stream)

(9 of )Kevin Jorgenson, left, of Santa Rosa, with Tommy Caldwell scale the final pitch of their free climb of El Capitan on January 14, 2015. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

(10 of )Kevin Jorgenson, in red, of Santa Rosa, celebrates his free climb of El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley with Tommy Caldwell, in yellow, on January 14, 2015. Jorgenson returned to beginning of the pitch and completed it. (Photo by John Burgess and Michael Eller/The Press Democrat)

(11 of )Kevin Jorgenson, in red, of Santa Rosa, celebrates his free climb of El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley with Tommy Caldwell, in yellow, on January 14, 2015. Jorgenson returned to beginning of the pitch and completed it. (Photo by John Burgess and Michael Eller/The Press Democrat)

(12 of )Kevin Jorgenson, in red, of Santa Rosa, celebrates his free climb of El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley with Tommy Caldwell, in yellow, on January 14, 2015. Jorgenson returned to beginning of the pitch and completed it. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

(13 of )El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley on January 14, 2015. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

(14 of )Kevin Jorgenson, in red, of Santa Rosa, celebrates his free climb of El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley with Tommy Caldwell, in yellow, on January 14, 2015. (Photo by John Burgess and Michael Eller/The Press Democrat)

(15 of )Kevin Jorgenson, in red, of Santa Rosa, celebrates his free climb of El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley with Tommy Caldwell, in yellow, on January 14, 2015. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

(16 of )Tommy Caldwell, in yellow, leads Kevin Jorgenson, in red, of Santa Rosa, on the final pitch of their free climb of El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley with on January 14, 2015. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

(18 of )Kevin Jorgeson, right, of Santa Rosa, with Tommy Caldwell scale the next to the last pitch of their free climb of El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley on January 14, 2015. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

(19 of )Kevin Jorgeson, left, of Santa Rosa takes a fall while free climbing the first pitch of his final day on El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley on January 14, 2015. Jorgeson returned to the beginning of the pitch and completed it. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

(20 of )Kevin Jorgeson, left, of Santa Rosa takes a fall while free climbing the first pitch of his final day on El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley on January 14, 2015. Jorgeson returned to the beginning of the pitch and completed it. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

(21 of )Spectators filled the El Captian meadow in Yosemite Valley on Wednesday to watch as Kevin Jorgenson, of Santa Rosa and Tommy Caldwell try to summit the rock to become the first to free climb the peak. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

(22 of )Photographer Michael Macor trains his lens on El Captian in the Yosemite Valley ass Kevin Jorgenson, of Santa Rosa and Tommy Caldwell try to summit the rock to become the first to free climb the peak on Wednesday, January 14, 2014. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat) (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

(23 of )Kevin Jorgeson, in red, of Santa Rosa, celebrates his free climb of El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley with Tommy Caldwell, in yellow, on Jan. 14, 2015. (JOHN BURGESS/ PD)

(24 of )Kevin Jorgenson, in red, of Santa Rosa, celebrates his free climb of El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley with Tommy Caldwell, in yellow, on January 14. (Photo by John Burgess and Michael Eller / The Press Democrat)

(25 of )El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley on January 14, 2015. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

(26 of )Kevin Jorgeson and Tommy Caldwell, left, toast upon completing their historic free-climb ascent of El Capitanâs Dawn Wall, in Yosemite National Park, Calif., Jan. 14, 2015. Looking on is Becca Caldwell, Tommy's wife, on hand to celebrate at the end of a climb that took 19 days. (Max Whittaker/The New York Times)

(29 of ) From left: Becca and Tommy Caldwell, and Jacqui Becker and Kevin Jorgeson embrace after the two men completed a free climb summit of the Dawn Wall of El Capitan, in Yosemite National Park, Calif., Jan. 14, 2015. Using ropes as a safety measure only, the duo became the first to climb by hand the 3,000-foot granite wall, an ascent they began on Dec. 27. (Max Whittaker/The New York Times)

(31 of ) Tommy Caldwell, top, raises his arms after reaching the summit of El Capitan as Kevin Jorgeson, bottom, watches Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015, as seen from the valley floor in Yosemite National Park. Caldwell and Jorgeson became the first to free-climb the rock formation's Dawn Wall. They used ropes and safety harnesses to catch them in case of a fall, but relied entirely on their own strength and dexterity to ascend by grasping cracks as thin as razor blades and as small as dimes. The effort took 19 days, as the two dealt with constant falls and injuries. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(32 of ) Tommy Caldwell, lower left, and Kevin Jorgeson, lower right, near the summit of El Capitan Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015, as seen from the valley floor in Yosemite National Park. The two climbers vying to become the first in the world to use only their hands and feet to scale a sheer granite face in California's Yosemite National Park are almost to the top. Jorgeson and Caldwell have been attempting what many thought impossible. The men have been "free-climbing" to the 3,000-foot summit for 17 days, meaning they don't use climbing aids other than ropes only to prevent deadly falls. Each trained for more than five years, and they have battled bloodied fingers and unseasonably warm weather. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(33 of ) Tommy Caldwell, left, and Kevin Jorgeson near the summit of El Capitan Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015, as seen from the valley floor in Yosemite National Park, Calif. The two climbers vying to become the first in the world to use only their hands and feet to scale a sheer granite face in California's Yosemite National Park are almost to the top. Jorgeson and Caldwell have been attempting what many thought impossible. The men have been "free-climbing" to the 3,000-foot summit for 17 days, meaning they don't use climbing aids other than ropes only to prevent deadly falls. Each trained for more than five years, and they have battled bloodied fingers and unseasonably warm weather. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(34 of ) People watch as two climbers vying to become the first in the world to use only their hands and feet to scale a sheer slab of granite and make their way to the summit of El Capitan Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015, in Yosemite National Park. The pair are closing in on the top of the 3,000-foot (900-meter) peak and if all goes as planned, 30-year-old Kevin Jorgeson of Santa Rosa and 36-year-old Tommy Caldwell of Colorado, should complete their climb early Wednesday afternoon, a spokeswoman said. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(35 of ) A spectator uses a telescope to watch Kevin Jorgeson and Tommy Caldwell make their way up El Capitan's Dawn Wall in Yosemite National Park on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015. (JOHN BURGESS/ PD)

(36 of ) Kevin Jorgeson and Tommy Caldwell, left, toast upon completing their historic free-climb ascent of El Capitan’s Dawn Wall, in Yosemite National Park, Jan. 14, 2015. Looking on is Becca Caldwell, Tommy's wife, on hand to celebrate at the end of a climb that took 19 days. (Max Whittaker/The New York Times)

(37 of ) Crowds watch and wait anxiously in El Capitan Meadow as Kevin Jorgeson and Tommy Caldwell close in on the top of their ascent of El Capitan's Dawn Wall at Yosemite National Park on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015. (JOHN BURGESS/ PD)

(38 of ) Shown is El Capitan where two climbers are vying to become the first in the world to use only their hands and feet to scale a sheer slab of granite make their way to the summit Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015, in Yosemite National Park, Calif. The pair are closing in on the top of the 3,000-foot (900-meter) peak and if all goes as planned, 30-year-old Kevin Jorgeson of Santa Rosa and 36-year-old Tommy Caldwell of Colorado, should complete their climb early Wednesday afternoon. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(40 of ) Kevin Jorgeson, in red, of Santa Rosa, celebrates his free climb of El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley with Tommy Caldwell, in yellow, on Jan. 14, 2015. (JOHN BURGESS/ PD)

(41 of ) Kevin Jorgeson, left, of Santa Rosa takes a fall while free climbing the first pitch of his final day on El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley on January 14, 2015. Jorgeson returned to the beginning of the pitch and completed it. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

(42 of ) Kevin Jorgeson removes tape from his battered hands after he and Tommy Caldwell completed their historic free-climb ascent of El Capitan’s Dawn Wall, in Yosemite National Park, Calif., Jan. 14, 2015. The cold weather and razorlike granite conspired to frequently leave Jorgeson’s fingertips raw and bloody over the course of a climb that lasted 19 days. (Max Whittaker/The New York Times)

(43 of ) Tommy Caldwell on the summit of El Capitan Wednesday, Jan. 14 after a 19-day free-climbing ascent of the Dawn Wall route. (Matt Brown / The Press Democrat)

(44 of ) Kevin Jorgeson shows his hands after he and Tommy Caldwell completed their historic free-climb ascent of El Capitan’s Dawn Wall, in Yosemite National Park, Calif., Jan. 14, 2015. The cold weather and razorlike granite conspired to frequently leave Jorgeson’s fingertips raw and bloody over the course of a climb that lasted 19 days. (Max Whittaker/The New York Times)

(45 of ) Kevin Jorgeson pops a bottle of sparkling wine to celebrate his historic free-climb ascent of El Capitan’s Dawn Wall, as Becca Caldwell, the wife of his climbing partner Tommy Caldwell, looks on, in Yosemite National Park, Jan. 14, 2015. Both climbers’ partners were on hand at the end of a climb that took 19 days. (Max Whittaker/The New York Times)

(46 of ) Kevin Jorgeson, right, of Santa Rosa, with Tommy Caldwell scale the next to the last pitch of their free climb of El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley on January 14, 2015. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

(47 of ) Spectators gaze at El Capitan for a glimpse of climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015, as seen from the valley floor in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Caldwell and Jorgeson became the first to free-climb the rock formation's Dawn Wall. They used ropes and safety harnesses to catch them in case of a fall, but relied entirely on their own strength and dexterity to ascend by grasping cracks as thin as razor blades and as small as dimes. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(48 of ) Spectators gaze at El Capitan for a glimpse of climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015, as seen from the valley floor in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Caldwell and Jorgeson became the first to free-climb the rock formation's Dawn Wall. They used ropes and safety harnesses to catch them in case of a fall, but relied entirely on their own strength and dexterity to ascend by grasping cracks as thin as razor blades and as small as dimes. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(49 of ) Tommy Caldwell, top, raises his arms after reaching the summit of El Capitan, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015, as seen from the valley floor in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson became the first to free-climb the rock formation's Dawn Wall. They used ropes and safety harnesses to catch them in case of a fall, but relied entirely on their own strength and dexterity to ascend by grasping cracks as thin as razor blades and as small as dimes. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(50 of ) Tommy Caldwell, top, raises his arms after reaching the summit of El Capitan as Kevin Jorgeson, bottom, watches Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015, as seen from the valley floor in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Caldwell and Jorgeson became the first to free-climb the rock formation's Dawn Wall. They used ropes and safety harnesses to catch them in case of a fall, but relied entirely on their own strength and dexterity to ascend by grasping cracks as thin as razor blades and as small as dimes. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(51 of ) Kevin Jorgeson, left, and Tommy Caldwell climb El Capitan, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015, as seen from the valley floor in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Caldwell and Jorgeson became the first to free-climb the rock formation's Dawn Wall. They used ropes and safety harnesses to catch them in case of a fall, but relied entirely on their own strength and dexterity to ascend by grasping cracks as thin as razor blades and as small as dimes. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(52 of ) Spectators filled the El Captian meadow in Yosemite Valley on Wednesday to watch as Kevin Jorgenson, of Santa Rosa and Tommy Caldwell try to summit the rock to become the first to free climb the peak. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

(53 of ) Kevin Jorgeson of California, wearing green, and 36-year-old Tommy Caldwell, wearing blue lower right, climb near the summit of El Capitan Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015, as seen from the valley floor in Yosemite National Park, Calif. The two climbers vying to become the first in the world to use only their hands and feet to scale a sheer granite face in California's Yosemite National Park are almost to the top. Jorgeson and Caldwell have been attempting what many thought impossible. The men have been "free-climbing" to the 3,000-foot summit for 19 days, meaning they don't use climbing aids other than ropes only to prevent deadly falls. Each trained for more than five years, and they have battled bloodied fingers and unseasonably warm weather. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(54 of ) Tommy Caldwell, lower left, and Kevin Jorgeson, lower right, near the summit of El Capitan Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015, as seen from the valley floor in Yosemite National Park, Calif. The two climbers vying to become the first in the world to use only their hands and feet to scale a sheer granite face in California's Yosemite National Park are almost to the top. Jorgeson and Caldwell have been attempting what many thought impossible. The men have been "free-climbing" to the 3,000-foot summit for 19 days, meaning they don't use climbing aids other than ropes only to prevent deadly falls. Each trained for more than five years, and they have battled bloodied fingers and unseasonably warm weather. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(55 of ) Tommy Caldwell, left, and Kevin Jorgeson near the summit of El Capitan Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015, as seen from the valley floor in Yosemite National Park, Calif. The two climbers vying to become the first in the world to use only their hands and feet to scale a sheer granite face in California's Yosemite National Park are almost to the top. Jorgeson and Caldwell have been attempting what many thought impossible. The men have been "free-climbing" to the 3,000-foot summit for 19 days, meaning they don't use climbing aids other than ropes only to prevent deadly falls. Each trained for more than five years, and they have battled bloodied fingers and unseasonably warm weather. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(56 of ) Kevin Jorgeson of California, wearing green, and 36-year-old Tommy Caldwell, wearing blue, near the summit of El Capitan Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015, as seen from the valley floor in Yosemite National Park, Calif. The two climbers vying to become the first in the world to use only their hands and feet to scale a sheer granite face in California's Yosemite National Park are almost to the top. Jorgeson and Caldwell have been attempting what many thought impossible. The men have been "free-climbing" to the 3,000-foot summit for 19 days, meaning they don't use climbing aids other than ropes only to prevent deadly falls. Each trained for more than five years, and they have battled bloodied fingers and unseasonably warm weather. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(57 of ) In this Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015 photo provided by Ted Distel, Kevin Jorgeson gets a hug from his girlfriend Jacqui Becker after reaching the top of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot sheer granite face in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Rock climber Tommy Caldwell was first to pull himself atop the granite face followed minutes later by his longtime friend Jorgeson. After years of practice, failed attempts and 19 grueling days scaling the vertical wall on El Capitan by their bloodied fingertips, the friends completed the first free climb up the world's largest granite monolith. (AP Photo/Ted Distel)

(58 of ) In this Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015 photo provided by Ted Distel, Kevin Jorgeson, left, and Tommy Caldwell reach the top of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot sheer granite face in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Rock climber Caldwell was first to pull himself atop the granite face followed minutes later by his longtime friend Jorgeson. After years of practice, failed attempts and 19 grueling days scaling the vertical wall on El Capitan by their bloodied fingertips, the friends completed the first free climb up the world's largest granite monolith. (AP Photo/Ted Distel)

(59 of ) In this Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015 photo provided by Ted Distel shows Kevin Jorgeson, left, and Tommy Caldwell embracing each other after reaching the top of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot sheer granite face in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Rock climber Caldwell was first to pull himself atop the granite face followed minutes later by his longtime friend Jorgeson. After years of practice, failed attempts and 19 grueling days scaling the vertical wall on El Capitan by their bloodied fingertips, the friends completed the first free climb up the world's largest granite monolith. (AP Photo/Ted Distel)

(60 of ) In this Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015 photo provided by Ted Distel, Kevin Jorgeson gets a kiss from his girlfriend Jacqui Becker after reaching the top of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot sheer granite face in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Rock climber Tommy Caldwell was first to pull himself atop the granite face followed minutes later by his longtime friend Jorgeson. After years of practice, failed attempts and 19 grueling days scaling the vertical wall on El Capitan by their bloodied fingertips, the friends completed the first free climb up the world's largest granite monolith. (AP Photo/Ted Distel)

(61 of ) In this Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015 photo provided by Ted Distel, Kevin Jorgeson checks his torn fingers after reaching the top of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot sheer granite face in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Rock climber Tommy Caldwell was first to pull himself atop the granite face followed minutes later by his longtime friend Jorgeson. After years of practice, failed attempts and 19 grueling days scaling the vertical wall on El Capitan by their bloodied fingertips, the friends completed the first free climb up the world's largest granite monolith. (AP Photo/Ted Distel)

(62 of ) In this Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015 photo provided by Ted Distel, Kevin Jorgeson takes tape off his torn fingers after reaching the top of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot sheer granite face in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Rock climber Tommy Caldwell was first to pull himself atop the granite face followed minutes later by his longtime friend Jorgeson. After years of practice, failed attempts and 19 grueling days scaling the vertical wall on El Capitan by their bloodied fingertips, the friends completed the first free climb up the world's largest granite monolith. (AP Photo/Ted Distel)

(63 of ) In this Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015 photo provided by Ted Distel, Kevin Jorgeson celebrates with an unidentified friend after reaching the top of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot sheer granite face in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Rock climber Tommy Caldwell was first to pull himself atop the granite face followed minutes later by his longtime friend Jorgeson. After years of practice, failed attempts and 19 grueling days scaling the vertical wall on El Capitan by their bloodied fingertips, the friends completed the first free climb up the world's largest granite monolith. (AP Photo/Ted Distel)

(64 of ) In this Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015 photo provided by Ted Distel, Kevin Jorgeson, left, is greeted by his father Eric Jorgeson after reaching the top of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot sheer granite face in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Rock climber Tommy Caldwell was first to pull himself atop the granite face followed minutes later by his longtime friend Jorgeson. After years of practice, failed attempts and 19 grueling days scaling the vertical wall on El Capitan by their bloodied fingertips, the friends completed the first free climb up the world's largest granite monolith. (AP Photo/Ted Distel)

(65 of ) This Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015 photo provided by Ted Distel, Kevin Jorgeson, left, and Tommy Caldwell reach the top of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot sheer granite face in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Rock climber Caldwell was first to pull himself atop the granite face followed minutes later by his longtime friend Jorgeson. After years of practice, failed attempts and 19 grueling days scaling the vertical wall on El Capitan by their bloodied fingertips, the friends completed the first free climb up the world's largest granite monolith. (AP Photo/Ted Distel)

(66 of ) This Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015 photo provided by Ted Distel shows Kevin Jorgeson, left, and Tommy Caldwell embracing each other after reaching the top of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot sheer granite face in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Rock climber Caldwell was first to pull himself atop the granite face followed minutes later by his longtime friend Jorgeson. After years of practice, failed attempts and 19 grueling days scaling the vertical wall on El Capitan by their bloodied fingertips, the friends completed the first free climb up the world's largest granite monolith. (AP Photo/Ted Distel)

(67 of ) Climbers Kevin Jorgeson, left, and Tommy Caldwell are seen at the base of El Capitan after a news conference Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, in Yosemite National Park, Calif. The two climbers became the first in the world to use only their hands and feet to scale El Capitan, a sheer granite face in California's Yosemite National Park. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(68 of ) Tommy Caldwell gestures during a news conference Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, in El Capitan meadow in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Climbers Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson became the first in the world to use only their hands and feet to scale El Capitan, a sheer granite face in California's Yosemite National Park. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(69 of ) Tommy Caldwell, left, gestures beside fellow climber Kevin Jorgeson during a news conference Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, in El Capitan meadow in Yosemite National Park, Calif. The two climbers became the first in the world to use only their hands and feet to scale El Capitan, a sheer granite face in California's Yosemite National Park. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(70 of ) Tommy Caldwell, left, and Kevin Jorgeson approach a podium as they prepare to speak during a news conference Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, in El Capitan meadow in Yosemite National Park, Calif. The two climbers became the first in the world to use only their hands and feet to scale El Capitan, in background, a sheer granite face in California's Yosemite National Park. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(71 of ) Climber Tommy Caldwell speaks during a news conference Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, in El Capitan meadow in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Caldwell became one of only two climbers in the world to use only their hands and feet to scale El Capitan, a sheer granite face in California's Yosemite National Park, when he and Kevin Jorgeson reached the summit Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(72 of ) Climber Kevin Jorgeson smiles during a news conference Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, in El Capitan meadow in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Jorgeson became one of only two climbers in the world to use only their hands and feet to scale El Capitan, a sheer granite face in California's Yosemite National Park, when he and Tommy Caldwell reached the summit Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(73 of ) Climbers Tommy Caldwell, left, and Kevin Jorgeson, right, speak during a press conference in Yosemite Valley near the base of El Capitan Thursday morning, Jan. 15, 2015 in Yosemite National Park. The two Americans became the first to free-climb El Capitan's Dawn Wall. They used ropes and safety harnesses in case of a fall but relied only on their hands, feet and strength to reach the 3,000-foot summit the day before. The trek began Dec. 27. (AP Photo/The Fresno Bee, Eric Paul Zamora)

(74 of ) Climber Kevin Jorgeson, right, listens as his partner Tommy Caldwell speak during a press conference in Yosemite Valley near the base of El Capitan, Thursday morning, Jan. 15, 2015 in Yosemite National Park, Calif. The two Americans became the first to free-climb El Capitan's Dawn Wall. They used ropes and safety harnesses in case of a fall but relied only on their hands, feet and strength to reach the 3,000-foot summit the day before. The trek began Dec. 27. (AP Photo/The Fresno Bee, Eric Paul Zamora)

(75 of ) Tommy Caldwell, right, of Colorado, and Kevin Jorgeson, of Santa Rosa, talk to the press on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015. The pair completed the first free climb of the Dawn Wall route of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015. (JOHN BURGESS/ PD)

(76 of ) Climbers Tommy Caldwell, left, and Kevin Jorgeson, right, speak during a press conference in Yosemite Valley near the base of El Capitan, Thursday morning, Jan. 15, 2015 in Yosemite National Park, Calif. The two Americans became the first to free-climb El Capitan's Dawn Wall. They used ropes and safety harnesses in case of a fall but relied only on their hands, feet and strength to reach the 3,000-foot summit the day before. The trek began Dec. 27. (AP Photo/The Fresno Bee, Eric Paul Zamora)

(77 of ) Climbers Tommy Caldwell, left, and Kevin Jorgeson, right, speak during a press conference in Yosemite Valley near the base of El Capitan Thursday morning, Jan. 15, 2015 in Yosemite National Park, Calif. The two Americans became the first to free-climb El Capitan's Dawn Wall. They used ropes and safety harnesses in case of a fall but relied only on their hands, feet and strength to reach the 3,000-foot summit the day before. The trek began Dec. 27. (AP Photo/The Fresno Bee, Eric Paul Zamora) \cafreap\

(78 of ) Kevin Jorgeson, of Santa Rosa, and Tommy Caldwell, right, of Colorado, talk to the press on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015. The pair completed the first free climb of the Dawn Wall route of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015. (JOHN BURGESS / PD)

(79 of ) Tommy Caldwell, right, of Colorado, and Kevin Jorgeson, of Santa Rosa, talk to the press on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015. The pair completed the first free climb of the Dawn Wall route of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015. (JOHN BURGESS/ PD)

(80 of ) Tommy Caldwell, right, of Colorado, and Kevin Jorgeson, of Santa Rosa, talk to the press on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015. The pair completed the first free climb of the Dawn Wall route of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015. (JOHN BURGESS/ PD)

(81 of ) Tommy Caldwell, right, of Colorado, and Kevin Jorgeson, of Santa Rosa, talk to the press on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015. The pair completed the first free climb of the Dawn Wall route of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015. (JOHN BURGESS/ PD)

ATOP EL CAPITAN - For nearly three weeks, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson climbed and rested and climbed and fell and climbed and hauled up bags of gear. Finally, there was nowhere higher to go.

At about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, with shadows already creeping across the face of El Capitan, the wearied and elated rock climbers stepped atop the rim of the great monolith, becoming the first people in the history of the planet to free climb the Dawn Wall route, and the first climbers to monopolize the attention of a wide swath of mainstream America.

Yes, they did remember how to walk.

“This is my first time standing on solid ground in 19 days,” said Jorgeson, who grew up in Santa Rosa. “It’s a little weird.”

He and Caldwell had been in the air since Dec. 27, either clasped tightly to the granite of El Cap or suspended in a flimsy tent known as a portaledge. Their ascent is considered the most difficult sustained rock climb in history, with several pitches — a section of the climb that can be supported by one rope length — rated in the fearsome 5.14 category (including some at 5.14d, near the extreme edge of the Yosemite Decimal System).

Caldwell, who “lead climbed” the final pitch, reached a ledge just below the summit at about 3:05 p.m. He turned toward Yosemite Valley below him and raised his arms in triumph. Three thousand feet below, El Capitan Meadow erupted in whoops and cheers. About 15 minutes later, the scene played out again when Jorgeson reached the ledge.

From there, it was relatively easy to reach the true rim of the world’s largest granite rock.

“They both scrambled from that ledge, back into reality,” said Mike Caldwell, Tommy’s father and an experienced mountaineer in his own right. “They were both greeted at the same time, and essentially they both summited the same time. You couldn’t lay it out in a more fair or more dramatic way.”

At the top, Tommy Caldwell embraced his wife, Rebecca, and Jorgeson hugged his girlfriend, Jacqui Becker. The two significant others were among several dozen intrepid greeters who had hiked to the top of El Cap to be there when the duo arrived, a contingent that included friends, fellow climbers and members of the news media. Jorgeson and Caldwell shook up two bottles of sparkling wine, provided by Iron Horse Vineyards in Sebastopol, and sprayed them like World Series winners.

“It’s over,” said Jorgeson. “I can’t believe it.”

He called the climb “the most intense experience of my entire life.”

After getting their bearings and basking in the moment a bit, the climbers and their entourage began a two-plus-hour descent to the valley floor via the tricky climbers’ trail along El Capitan’s east ledges.

In the meadow below, the mood approached euphoria. The crowd that had been assembling at the foot of the rock for more than a week grew in size and became more attuned to the climbers’ efforts. At times, El Cap Meadow looked like the world’s most scenic sports bar. An NBC News photographer had rigged up a monitor to his telescopic viewfinder, giving those around him a view that resembled a TV close-up. By the time Caldwell, 36, of Estes Park, Colo., and Jorgeson, 30, reached the top, about 30 people were huddled in front of the monitor.

Members of both families were there, including three generations of Caldwells. They were, as you could imagine, ecstatic and perhaps a bit teary.

“It’s kind of surreal,” said Gaelena Jorgeson, Kevin’s mother, standing in the chilly meadow. “I’m having a hard time being present. I’m pretty numb right now physically — but maybe emotionally as well.”

“It is a fabulous moment,” Gaelena said. “I don’t have enough superlatives to tell you how wonderful this moment is.”

Even those with no shared bloodlines wound up feeling a connection.

“The rest of us who at first think they’re crazy and then come and watch them are so inspired, and they make us so happy. Even though we can’t do what they’re doing, they carry us with them,” said Claudia Stanger of Berkeley, who heard about the climbers in the news before deciding she had to see them for herself, though they were little more than specks to the naked eye.

Even President Barack Obama joined the party. “So proud of @TommyCaldwell1 and @KJorgeson for conquering El Capitan,” he tweeted. “You remind us that anything is possible.”

The final day was anything but easy for Jorgeson and Caldwell. They took to the wall about 9 a.m., and after Caldwell finished the first pitch of the day, Jorgeson immediately ran into trouble along a wide crack on an ascending diagonal. It took them 2½ hours to complete that first pitch, and about two more hours to nail the second, jeopardizing their goal of summiting Wednesday.

Considering the duration and intricacy of the overall undertaking — veteran climber and author John Long called it “a beatdown of Homeric proportions” — the Dawn Wallers might have been forgiven for pooping out. But they picked up steam in the afternoon. The final pitch, rated 5.12c, was supposed to be the hardest of the day. They knocked it out in about an hour.

A press conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday. Appropriately, it will take place in El Capitan Meadow. Jorgeson and Caldwell can resume eating hot food and showering and enjoying the supreme comforts of mattresses while the rest of us sort out the significance of their accomplishment.

Tom Evans, who writes and takes photos for his El Cap Report blog and has been closely following climbs in Yosemite for decades, doubts anyone else will “push” the Dawn Wall for decades.

The feat took years of planning and preparation. Caldwell began by himself in 2007. Jorgeson joined him as a partner in 2009. They returned each winter, in the narrow window between too-hot and too-wet, to survey the route and practice specific pitches. Added up, each spent close to a year practicing on the Dawn Wall.

El Capitan, first climbed in 1958, has now been summited by many people, along about 100 established routes. However, none of them are as impenetrable as the porcelain-smooth Dawn Wall, which consistently straddles the line between climbable and unclimbable.

Even the Dawn Wall has been climbed, but only by people using ropes and pulley systems to help themselves up. Jorgeson and Caldwell “free climbed” the route, meaning they could use ropes only for safety, not for aid or leverage. When one of them slipped from the rock face, he would fall a short distance — painful sometimes but not fatal — and would then have to return to the start of that pitch. They lost hold so many times during the Dawn Wall ascent that they may have climbed close to 10,000 feet in total, Long estimates.

As impressive as the project was, part of the interest it generated certainly has something to do with new media. Jorgeson and Caldwell used their iPhones to tweet live updates on their progress, and a camera crew suspended by ropes documented their every move. The NBC News feed that drew interest in the meadow was simulcast on the Internet, where people around the world viewed the live footage.

With the global media attention showered upon Caldwell and Jorgeson, Long believes this became bigger than the sport.

“I look at this thing not as a rock climb,” Long said. “It’s another one of those things in a long history of explorers and adventurers and what-have-you, of people just ticking that bar a little higher. I mean, this thing has transcended climbing just like Columbus transcended ocean voyages.”

Those closest to the climbers may have been awed at what they’d witnessed. But their feelings were also tinged with relief.

“I don’t have any reference points to compare what this journey has been like,” said Becker, Jorgeson’s girlfriend. “It’s been this emotional stew, especially for Kevin and those who love him. His challenge has been put in perspective on a global stage.”

And so has his celebration.

Staff Writer Phil Barber can be reached at 521-5263 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @Skinny_Post. Staff Writer Matt Brown can be reached at 521-5206 or matt.brown@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MattBrownPD.